Circle packings, renormalizations and subdivision rules

Abstract

In this paper, we use iterations of skinning maps on Teichm\"uller spaces to study circle packings and develop a renormalization theory for circle packings whose nerves satisfy certain subdivision rules. We characterize when the skinning map has bounded image. Under the corresponding condition, we prove that the renormalization operator $\mathfrak{R}$ is uniformly contracting. This allows us to give complete answers for the existence and moduli problems for such circle packings. The exponential contraction of $\mathfrak{R}^n$ means that despite the non-rigidity of such circle packings, they are geometrically inflexible. As an application, we show that any geometrically finite Kleinian circle packing is combinatorially rigid.